https://medicalxpress.com/dermatology-news/ en-us Latest medical news and research in Dermatology A new study has identified a molecular guardian that keeps skin cells from forgetting what they are and transforming into aggressive, migratory killers. By stabilizing a master genetic switch, this protein shield prevents common skin tumors from undergoing a dangerous metamorphosis and spreading to the lungs. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-biological-shield-skin-cancer-cells.html Thu, 16 Apr 2026 10:40:04 EDT news695551616 While it was previously thought that keratinocytes (skin cells) were only passive conductors that allow the rabies virus to pass through, novel research reveals that these cells play a much more active role. The findings of a new study in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology (JID), provide direct evidence that keratinocytes can support viral replication and transmit the rabies virus to neurons. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-skin-cells-rabies-invade-nerves.html Thu, 16 Apr 2026 00:10:01 EDT news695477521 A natural compound made by Australian bees to seal their hives may help stop scarring in human skin after surgery, injury and burns, according to University of the Sunshine Coast researchers. The scientists say the laboratory finding has "immense potential" for future applications in people with scarring ranging from shallow and cosmetic to deep and debilitating, known as hypertrophic. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-australian-bee-scar-compound-scars.html Wed, 15 Apr 2026 08:40:04 EDT news695461023 Instead of applying ointment and attaching a bandage, a "smart patch that regulates treatment intensity on its own just by being attached" has appeared. A research team has developed a "self-regulating OLED wound healing patch" that combines light and drugs to pull up the wound recovery speed by about twice. It is expected to develop into an intelligent treatment technology where light regulates drug release according to the patient's condition in the future. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-smart-oled-patch-automate-drug.html Mon, 13 Apr 2026 16:40:03 EDT news695305461 Scientists have long known that our skin is home to vast communities of bacteria, fungi and viruses. But knowing which microbes are present only tells part of the story. What matters just as much is which microbes are active, what genes they switch on, and how they interact with one another on the skin. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-hidden-skin-microbe-revealed-real.html Fri, 10 Apr 2026 16:40:02 EDT news695041309 Keratin is the fibrous, waterproof protein that builds everything from our hair and nails to a rhino's horn. However, a tiny glitch in it can have problematic outcomes. A new study has found that changes in a keratin gene called KRT16 can lead to a rare condition known as pachyonychia congenita (PC). This disorder affects the skin, nails, and the lining of the mouth, and often causes painful, thick patches of skin—especially on the hands and feet. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-skin-protein-k16-inflammation-stressed.html Fri, 10 Apr 2026 13:20:03 EDT news695037258 It is well known that students who prepare in advance perform better in exams. Now, it appears that the skin can do the same. Rather than scrambling to repair itself only after injury occurs, a Korean research team has demonstrated that preconditioning a subset of skin cells into a "ready state" enables the tissue to initiate rapid and effective healing immediately upon injury. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-skin-pre-priming-cells-regeneration.html Thu, 09 Apr 2026 10:00:10 EDT news694946221 Fibrosis is the body's way of patching up damage—a bit like fixing a pothole. When skin is cut or a muscle is injured, fibroblast cells rush in to make fibronectin and collagen, which are two major extracellular matrix proteins in tissue. They pull the wound edges together and build a temporary scaffold to let tissue heal. Once the job is done, the body slowly removes the extra fibers and the tissue softens again. This type of normal wound healing is essential. However, problems arise when fibroblasts do not stop making fibers. Instead of healing and calming, the tissue becomes thicker, stiffer, and less able to work. This long-term, uncontrolled scarring is called pathological fibrosis. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-uncontrolled-scarring-reveals-cell-sensor.html Thu, 02 Apr 2026 14:40:02 EDT news694354584 Melanoma is a deadly form of skin cancer that is typically removed surgically. Now, researchers publishing in ACS Nano report they have developed a potential noninvasive treatment for melanoma in the form of a stretchy, heat-activated patch similar to a bandage. When activated, the patch releases copper ions that kill the underlying cancer cells and prevent them from spreading. In tests with mice, the researchers say the patch reduced melanoma lesions without damaging surrounding tissue. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-skin-patch-melanoma-cells-surgery.html Wed, 01 Apr 2026 12:20:05 EDT news694262881 Mount Sinai researchers have published the first organ-wide human skin spatial atlas from across the body. It provides an unprecedentedly detailed view of healthy human skin, revealing cellular composition and functional mechanisms of skin from more than a dozen unique sites on the body, including the scalp and sole. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-spatial-atlas-reveals-unique-cell.html Mon, 23 Mar 2026 18:20:01 EDT news693499441 Scientists have identified the transporter protein that allows essential fats in the bloodstream to enter the skin, reshaping understanding of how the skin maintains its protective barrier. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-scientists-uncover-key-lipid-skin.html Mon, 23 Mar 2026 12:16:33 EDT news693486961 Skin, our largest organ, acts as a protective barrier against pathogens that try to invade our bodies while constantly monitoring for potential threats. In the skin's outermost layer, the epidermis, reside keratinocytes, cells that detect danger and actively orchestrate the body's immune response. How these cells perform this task in a localized manner and then communicate the message with the entire immune system had been a mystery, but now a team of researchers from China has uncovered the signaling pathway. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-scientists-skin-alarm-pathway-links.html Mon, 23 Mar 2026 10:20:04 EDT news693479936 No matter the size or severity, wounds on human skin are difficult to monitor while they heal. Biopsies disrupt the wound site and are too invasive for routine, repeated monitoring, and most medical imaging devices that could do the job are large, expensive, and booked up with more pressing diagnostics. Clinicians typically resort to visual inspection or quick measurements of the wound's size over time. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-ai-powered-imaging-tracks-wound.html Fri, 20 Mar 2026 15:20:05 EDT news693230641 The mystery of how stress exacerbates atopic dermatitis, more commonly known as eczema, may be closer to being understood. A new study published in the journal Science has identified a specific nerve pathway that helps explain the link. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-stress-pathway-reveals-nervous-contributes.html Fri, 20 Mar 2026 12:00:02 EDT news693221723 Injections of botulinum toxin, commonly known as Botox, could be an effective and well-tolerated option for treating debilitating complications caused by reduced blood flow to the fingers, such as acute digital ischemia (which makes the fingers very painful, cold and sometimes white or bluish), digital ulcers (open wounds that heal poorly), and gangrene, according to a study recently published in JAMA Dermatology. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-botox-therapeutic-approach-finger-ulcers.html Fri, 20 Mar 2026 11:20:01 EDT news693221281 Could wounded skin someday regrow perfectly without scars? A new study by Harvard stem cell biologists published in Cell reveals a way to fully regenerate skin by unblocking an embryonic healing mechanism that shuts off after birth. Demonstrated on mice, the study suggests a potential means to develop similar therapies in human patients. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-botox-nerve-blocking-reveals-potential.html Fri, 20 Mar 2026 11:00:12 EDT news693215821 There is a promising new drug for the rare disease mastocytosis, which is associated with skin lesions, among other things. Researchers at the University of Basel have now been able to use artificial intelligence to quantitatively measure for the first time the extent to which it reduces skin lesions. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-ai-skin-lesions-rare-disease.html Thu, 19 Mar 2026 12:20:05 EDT news693138781 Anyone with a chronic illness understands the struggle of living with a disease that is deeply unpredictable. Many such illnesses are characterized by long periods of remission broken up by sudden, debilitating flare-ups. Sometimes these flare-ups have obvious causes, but often they seem to come out of nowhere, which can be frustrating and unpleasant. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-math-eczema.html Tue, 17 Mar 2026 11:00:03 EDT news692962621 A topical cream activated the skin's immune defenses and suppressed tumor growth in two preclinical models of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC), according to a study published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-enzyme-blocking-cream-growth-common.html Fri, 13 Mar 2026 10:00:01 EDT news692612641 People who suffer from chronic itching in the form of atopic dermatitis (AD) are seven times more likely to develop a major depressive disorder. This link is well established, but the "why" remains elusive. Are the depressive symptoms simply due to inflammation, sleep disruption, and the psychological distress of living with chronic illness? Or is it possible that AD could be somehow changing the brain itself? https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-brain-circuit-neural-depression.html Wed, 04 Mar 2026 18:00:06 EST news691860416 Researchers at The Jackson Laboratory (JAX), in collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), have developed the first bandage-like microneedle patch that can sample the body's immune responses painlessly from the skin. The device detects inflammatory signals within minutes and collects specialized immune cells within hours without the need for blood draws or surgical biopsies. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-painless-skin-patch-immune-health.html Mon, 02 Mar 2026 11:20:01 EST news691672005